


Telescope Eyes

by oxforddrama



Category: Coraline (2009)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 23:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15959939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxforddrama/pseuds/oxforddrama
Summary: Young Wybie has to save Coraline from the evil Beldam.





	Telescope Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I miss Coraline, I may re-explore writing something original from it eventually. This was originally published on Fanfiction on April 21, 2014.

_Oh, you humor me today,_  
Calling me out to play.  
With your telescope eyes, metal teeth,  
I can't be seen with you.  
  
\- "Telescope Eyes" By Eisley

Wybie knew something was wrong when he had not heard from Coraline. She kept talking about a door at her house that led to a magical world. He was not sure if she was losing her mind, but did know that what his grandmother has told him—or has refused to tell him—about her childhood was enough for him to believe that something creepy was going down in The Pink Palace. It was the middle of the night, and against his grandmother's better judgment, young Lovat hopped onto his bike, with his usually unusual gear and rode over to the Jones' flat. Sneaking in, he made his way to the room Coraline said had the door to the Other World and opened it carefully. A small glow was emitting from the other side, as if the door was left ajar out of carelessness. Wybie crawled through the small hole and peered through the crack. Nothing. No one. It seemed safe. Suddenly, he felt something move across his foot. He gasped, covering his mouth quickly, and looked behind him. It was his black cat. "Shoo!" Wybie begged, but the cat refused to budge. Peering into the feline's giant orbs for eyes, Wybie saw that the cat was looking back with a stern face. "Fine," he whispered. "Stubborn thing, you! You can help me find Coraline... But  _keep quiet._ "

The two of them made it through the door and into the Other World. "Hmm..." Wybie pulled out a flashlight and looked around the room, making sure not to step on any familiar boards that creaked back in Coraline's flat. "Where is everyone?" The room was like Coraline's sitting room: same couch, same fireplace, same wallpaper and carpet. The area was cold and dark; when the light hit the painting that hung above the mantle-piece of an ecstatic young boy eating an ice cream, Wybie could see a small tear in the canvas. Cobwebs and age had seemed to take over the room. "That's strange... Didn't Coraline say that this world was glittery or something?"

"Actually," the cat said suddenly, causing Wybie to jump in fear. "Since Beldam has become infuriated by Coraline, her true colors are beginning to show. She may not have been ready for visitors; otherwise she probably would have been here waiting for you."

"Wh- Who... Who is Beldam?" Wybie asked with a shaky voice.

The cat sighed, "Why, the Other Mother, of course. Beldam is a charming nickname the lost children created."

"What does this Other Mother do? And who are the lost children?"

"Were you not listening to Coraline that day?"

"Sort of..."

The cat sighed again. He really couldn't understand this boy sometimes. "This is the Other World," he gestured with his paw. "It is full of Other characters created by Beldam that are replicas of Coraline's life. The only difference: the Others are what Coraline wishes of all of them."

"But how does she know what Coraline wants?"

"She spies," the cat said bluntly. Wybie glanced back at the cat, awestruck.

"I hate to ask this, but... Who are the lost children?"

"The lost children," the cat said while scratching his ear, "are with Coraline. They are children from past years, captured by Beldam, that have, unfortunately, already died." He began licking his paw as though this were a casual conversation for him.

"So, if we find Coraline, we will find the lost children?"

"We should." The two circled the room once more, attempting to find some sort of clues. "What is the Other Wybie like?" the boy finally asked as they approached the sitting room doorway.

"Quiet," the cat snickered. "I have to admit, I found that the most amusing."

"Oh,  _ha-ha_ ," Wybie dropped his head before breathing in deep and lurking into the hallway.

...

_"I'm Wybie. Wybie Lovat."_

_"Wybie?"_

_"Short for Wyborn. Not my idea, of course. What'd you get saddled with?"_

_"I wasn't_ saddled _with anything. It's Coraline."_

_"Caroline what?"_

_"_ Coraline _. Coraline Jones."_

_"Hm. It's not real scientific, but I heard an ordinary name like Caroline can lead people to have ordinary expectations about a person."_

_"I think I heard someone calling you... Wyborn."_

_"What? I didn't hear anything."_

_"Oh, I definitely heard someone..._ Why-were-you-born _."_

...

The two stayed flush with the wall, hoping the shadows would blanket them from sight. They looked around. Still nothing. Wybie was growing more nervous. The house was damp and dark, and the lovely things that once filled the hall and sitting room were crippling under the mildew and lack of keep. The further the two got from the sitting room, however, the brighter everything became. In the kitchen, the soup that the Other Mother had been cooking was still smoking on the burner. "Mm..." Wybie moaned as they looked around the corner. "There's no telling what is actually in that soup," the cat scoffed.

"Where do you think we should start?" Wybie asked.

"I'm not sure..."

"Haven't you been here before with Coraline?"

"Yes I have," said the cat. He jumped onto the kitchen table as Wybie took a seat. Licking his paw, he looked around the room inquisitively. "We could always try and find the Other Father or the Other Wybie..."

"Why would we do that?"

"Because, truth be told, the Others do not actually like the Other Mother. Beldam is a horrible monster, and they all know it. Of course, there is little they can do about it, they are her slaves... I am sure with a little hope thrown their way they could find the courage to fight against her. If we found one of them, they could probably help us."

"Who is more likely?"

"I'm not sure," the cat jumped off the table. "The Other Wybie doesn't talk, so that should be saved for last. Let's try the Other Father first. He is at least caring and able to communicate with us."

"Alright then. Where to?" Wybie stood up looking around with discernment and caution of his surroundings.

"Let's try the garden."

Walking outside, a garden of immaculate nature lit up with beautiful lights and flowers varying in shapes, sizes and colors. All plants opened up and moved into formation to show Coraline's face. Wybie was hypnotized by the accuracy and care given by someone's incomparably aesthetic green thumb. The moon was large and bright. The buzzing from a definite lawn mower was growing louder. "Where is that coming from?" Wybie wondered aloud. Soon enough, the Other Father appeared riding up on a mower and was waving frantically with a bright smile.

"Howdy ho!" he shouted to the others.

"Uh, hi," Wybie said in his usually odd, nervous way.

He walked over to the Other Father and the moonlight reflected off of his black button eyes. The boy could not stop staring. The cat nudged him. "That's the Other Father."

"I know."

"Hi, Wybie. Are you here to join us as well?" the Other Father asked.

"Um, not really," Wybie said. The Other Father looked sad.

"Well, what do you need? As you can see, I'm kind of busy."

"Where is Coraline?" Wybie asked concerned. The Other Father mimicked that look of concernment. "I don't know." He got off the mower. His legs were barely strong enough to hold him up. He fell to the ground with a thump. "I couldn't tell you even if I knew."

"Why?" Wybie asked. The Other Father pulled him down to the ground next to him and leaned in to whisper.

"The Other Mother is listening," he said in a terrified tone.

"Where is Beldam?" Wybie asked looking around nervously. The button-eyed man cringed at the sound of the name.

"She is planning her attack on your dear friend." Wybie jumped up at hearing this.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to have any part in it! But I can't do anything to stop her! We all hate her. We all hate it here." The Other Father looked just as terrified as Wybie and the cat. His arms quickly went limp and the threads holding the buttons to his eyes began to loosen a little.

"You have to hurry if you want to find her and save her! The Other Mother is ready for a fight. But if she does not get Coraline soon, this whole world will fall apart, and it's likely to trap your friend with it."

The cat and Wybie left the Other Father there and ran back into the house. The cat stopped and his fur began to stand on edge. "Do you smell that, Wybie?"

"No? What?"

"It's her."

"How do you know?"

"The air is always rank when she is near. I remember sensing her the last time I was with Coraline."

"What do we do? Follow the smell?"

"We need to find Coraline first. Chances are, wherever she is Beldam is bound to be anyway."

...

Wybie and the Cat made their way down a corridor in the Other Pink Palace. The smell of mold filled the hallway. It seemed as if it hadn't been used in years, or, at least, not consistently. At the end stood a tall mirror. Whispers could be heard on the other end.

"She's near," hissed the cat—his fur was on edge and he wouldn't move from his spot.

"What do we do?" Wybie asked, shaking.

The cat looked around and saw a small closet just steps away. "Hide in here," he said.

Wybie and the cat sprinted for the closet and threw themselves in. Scared to arouse attention, Wybie was careful to shut the door as silently as possible—even in the drab hallway, he managed. They sat in the dark for some time wondering what to do.

"I think I heard Coraline's voice earlier. You don't think she's trapped somewhere, do you?"

"If she is, that can't be good."

...

" _Why does she want me?" Coraline asked._

" _She wants something to love, I think," the cat replied. "Something that isn't her. Or, maybe she'd just love something to eat."_

" _Eat? That's ridiculous, mothers don't eat... daughters."_

_The cat snickered. "I don't know. How do you taste?"_

" _You realize you're walking right into her trap."_

" _I have to go back. They are my parents."_

" _Challenge her, then. She may not play fair, but she won't refuse. She's got a_ thing _for games."_

...

It had been long enough since the cat had seen Coraline, even with his often cooled and blasé personality, he was petrified to think he had led Coraline to a doomed fate.

"I have to go get her!" Wybie exclaimed, quickly covering his mouth. He heard footsteps.  _No…_  he thought in a panic. What if the Other Mother had already beaten them to her? The cat couldn't see Wybie very well, even with his keen senses, still he knew that Wybie's eyes must have been darting in every direction.

Wybie cracked the door, best he could, without drawing attention to the figure in the hallway. It was the Other Wybie, sulking his way down the hall.

"I don't really walk like that, do I?" Wybie whispered to the cat.

The cat just snickered. "No, no, lad," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Wybie rolled his eyes and continued to watch him. "Other Wybie is our friend, right?"

"Right."

Other Wybie must have known something, he pressed an ear to the mirror and then two hands reached through the glass. "What the—?" Wybie opened the closet door and looked down the other way, making sure no one else had followed the Other Wybie, and stepped out.

Wybie got a good look at Other Wybie, as he pulled out a struggling and confused Coraline. He watched, sneaking back to hide behind the door, as Coraline continued to cause a stir, assuming the Other Wybie was someone worse. Wybie noticed the mask Other Wybie was wearing, confused. That was, until Coraline broke free and pulled off the mask—strings had been holding his lips up into a forced smile. Wybie could feel the cat shudder under his feet. The Other Wybie's lips were set free by Coraline and feel into a firm frown. The whole thing made Wybie grimace. He watched as Coraline interacted with the Other Wybie and a twinge of jealousy overcame him. Perhaps it would be better if he spoke less; if he left Coraline alone. Wybie slid down the doorframe and hung his head.

"What's wrong?" the cat whispered.

"Coraline likes the Other Wybie more," he said.

"Of course she does."

Wybie looked up at the cat with disdain.

"Why wouldn't she like the Other Wybie more? He's just a creation." The cat scratched his ear. "I bet when Coraline comes home, she'll appreciate you more."

...

" _Crazy? You're the jerk wad that gave me the doll!" Coraline shouted at Wybie._

...

Wybie wasn't buying it. Was all of this his fault? The Other Wybie and Coraline raced passed the closet and Wybie and the cat peered out to see them heading for the living room. They followed the others and peered around the corner.

"Coraline!" called out the Other Mother.

"Wait…" Wybie said, looking behind him. "What's Mrs. Jones doing here?"

The cat rolled his eyes. "That's the Other Mother, Wybie. Keep up!"

"Coraline!" the Other Mother called out again, this time sound more annoyed.

The Other Wybie and Coraline were arguing over going through the door. That's when Wybie saw the Other Wybie falling apart. He sunk his head again. Why would Coraline want to bring a fake Wybie back with her?

"Look alive!" the cat hissed, and scratched at Wybie's hand.

"Ow!" Wybie moaned and looked at the cat.

"Coraline! How dare you disobey your mother!"

Coraline was racing into the pathway now, the Other Wybie shutting her in.

Wybie and the cat heard footsteps coming down the stairs, nearer and nearer to the Other Wybie. Wybie raced towards his doppelganger, and grabbed his hand, pulling him back into the corridor. The Other Wybie was confused but let Wybie take the lead.

"We need a plan to destroy Beldam!" Wybie said. The Other Wybie nodded his head and began shaking as he heard the Other Mother getting closer, a button-eye coming loose. The Other Wybie opened the closet and pushed the cat and Wybie into it before the Other Mother could spot them.

There was shouting and commotion. Wybie pulled the cat as far into the back of the closet as they could hide and held onto the feline as much as he could. The cat wriggled loose when he knew the Other Mother was gone—what had become of the Other Wybie was unknown.

"Something tells me she's on a purge now," the cat said.

"What do you mean?"

"The Other Wybie's gone. I bet we won't find the Other Father anytime soon, either."

"Why was there no other you?"

The cat scratched his ear. "I guess Coraline isn't much of a cat person."

...

Coraline wasn't safe, and Wybie and the cat knew that.

"I'm going to go find Coraline," the cat said. "If I know her, she's off trying to solve how to take down the Other Mother and save the lost children." The cat began sprinting down the hall.

"Wait!" Wybie called out to him. "What about me?"

"The Other Mother likes to play games. Trap her. Trick her. Do what you must. Stall her."

Wybie hid back in the closet and curled up in a ball. "Me? I… I can't do this. I'm not brave. I'm just… just Wybie. That's all I'll ever be."

Several minutes later, Wybie could hear rummaging in the living room. He poked his head around the corner, curious to see if it was the cat and Coraline. It wasn't. It was the Other Mother—or, at least, he thought, perhaps. She looked nothing like Mrs. Jones. She looked like a monster. The room was webbed like the home of a giant spider, and the furniture looked like it belonged to a witch, appropriately, Wybie guessed.

"Evil witch!" Coraline shouted. "I'm not scared of you."

Wybie's eyes shot over to Coraline who was standing with the cat perched in her bag. In her hands were three spheres. She put them back in her bag and looked up to the monster with determination.

"But I love you, Coraline," Beldam said.

"I know where my parents are," Coraline said, watching Beldam closely.

"Oh really?"

"They're… In there!" Coraline pointed back to the small door. Beldam smiled.

Wybie watched closely as the cat jumped up onto the mantle while Coraline watched Beldam cough up the key to open the door. Coraline's eyes moved to the snow globe, but Wybie couldn't tell why. He snuck into the room and hid behind a chair.

The door opened and Coraline's parents weren't behind the door.

"You're lying," Beldam said.

The cat jumped back into Coraline's arms. "No, I'm not!" Coraline shouted and threw the cat into Beldam's face.

Wybie watched as the stunned cat dug his claws into Beldam's face. The two struggled and Coraline reached for the snow globe. Wybie rounded the chair and helped Coraline get it. "Wybie!" she scolded. "What are you doing here?!"

"I'm here to help you!"

Beldam screamed from the corner and Wybie grabbed the snow globe and hid back behind the chair. That's when he saw Mr. and Mrs. Jones waving at him from inside the globe. He smiled. "Hi," he whispered and peered back around the back of the chair at Beldam. She looked furious.

The cat ripped Beldam's eyes out in one final scratch to freedom. Beldam let go of the cat and held onto her face, disbelieving in what just happened. Crippled and angry, she transformed the entire room into a web—the beast now on the hunt for her prey.

Wybie made an attempt to run towards Coraline, who was trying to balance on the web, but the threading of the webs caused vibrations to send signals all the way up to Beldam. Though blinded, she cunningly started to crawl towards him. Wybie jumped and leapt towards Coraline. They both landed roughly, shaking the threads again. "Stop," she commanded of Wybie. "She can tell where you are by the web."

The cat took his chance and began pouncing on different parts of the web while Coraline and Wybie made a run for the door. With one swipe, Beldam knocked the cat into the wall in front of the kids and raced in their direction. Wybie quickly pried open the door and handed Coraline the snow globe to put in her bag. "Go!" he shouted, pushing Coraline and the cat through. Wybie quickly followed after.

Beldam reached a scissor-like hand out to the door and Wybie shut it as hard as he could. The hand managed to break free and come after the three as they made it into Coraline's home. It looked as good as ever—though Coraline would have called it plain before. She pushed herself against the door, fighting the creepy hand from getting inside, but it still managed to break in.

Wybie, Coraline and the cat race outside towards the well. The cat runs in an uncertain direction leaving Coraline and Wybie to themselves. "Stupid cat," Wybie muttered. He looked around, Coraline's eyes panicked and peering at the hand coming towards them quickly. He finds a stone and pushes Coraline to the ground, away from Beldam's grasp and crushes it with all of his might under the stone. The hand falls apart and Coraline just stares, eyes-wide at the scene that had unfolded before her.

"Wybie, I…"

"Save it," he said.

Coraline picks up all the pieces to the hand, and with the key, puts it all in a bag. She drops it in the well, leaving it to stay hidden from sight and from any unfortunate children who could be trapped by Beldam again someday.

Wybie and Coraline looked down the well together, watching as it made a loud thud at the bottom, hitting the mud and rocks. Wybie threw himself to the ground, leaning up against the well. He looked up at Coraline.

"You don't think she'll be back, do you?"

"Not unless someone wants to go looking in a dark well."

Coraline sat down next to Wybie and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey… Wybie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks… I guess."

"You're welcome… I guess."

Coraline smiled.

"Hey," Wybie said, suddenly. "What were those balls you had before?"

"The lost children's souls."

Wybie looked confused and then his eyes widened. "Oh no! My grandmother is going to kill me!" Wybie jumped up.

"Wait!" Coraline shouted. "That's it!"

...

"Welcome, Miss Lovat!" Coraline said to Wybie's grandmother.

"Oh, hello," she replied. Wybie standing somewhere behind her.

"I'm Coraline Jones. I've got so much to tell you."


End file.
